'Privileged to do so': Donald Trump delays 50% tariff on EU goods to make room for talks

US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a delay in implementing a proposed 50 per cent tariff on goods from the European Union, pushing the deadline from June 1 to July 9 in a bid to give trade negotiations with the bloc more time.The decision followed a phone conversation with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen earlier in the day. According to Trump, von der Leyen expressed a strong willingness to engage in "serious negotiations," prompting him to grant the extension."I told anybody that would listen, they have to do that," Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, before departing for Washington. Von der Leyen, he said, had promised to "rapidly get together and see if we can work something out."

Tensions had escalated last week after Trump threatened steep tariffs in a social media post on Friday, criticising the EU as "very difficult to deal with" and claiming that trade talks were "going nowhere." The tariffs were originally scheduled to go into effect on June 1.But Sunday's call appeared to ease hostilities, at least for now. "I agreed to the extension, July 9, 2025. It was my privilege to do so," Trump said on Truth Social shortly after his media appearance.Von der Leyen welcomed the move, saying the EU was committed to reaching a meaningful agreement. "Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively," she said in a statement. "To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9."